


Nuisance

by Unionjackpillow



Category: Criminal Minds (US TV)
Genre: 9.05, Aaron Hotchner Needs a Hug, Character Study, Hurt Aaron Hotchner, Route 66 - Freeform, not a happy childhood
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-02
Updated: 2021-01-02
Packaged: 2021-03-12 09:48:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 597
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28508457
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Unionjackpillow/pseuds/Unionjackpillow
Summary: Aaron Hotchner learned early on not be a nuisance.This leads to what happens in Route 66.
Comments: 4
Kudos: 27





	Nuisance

„Man up!“

„Don’t be such a wuss!“

„Stop crying or I’ll give you a real reason to cry.“

„Can’t you see that I’m busy?“

„Stop complaining, it’s only a headache.“

„Don’t be such a nuisance!“

Those were just a few of the remarks Aaron Hotchner heard when he told his parents that he was feeling unwell or was hurt. By the age of 13, he was so well conditioned by them that he ignored all of his symptoms and collapsed on the way home from school due to acute appendicitis. When his parents were asked by the hospital staff if their son didn’t show any signs of nausea, pain, loss of appetite or fever, they simply answered with a no. They weren’t even lying since he never told them about his symptoms and it wasn’t like they were actually paying any attention to their oldest child. Him eating less and less was chalked up to being a fussy eater and being ungrateful, which in return earned him a blow to the face. 

Asking SSA Aaron Hotchner, Unit Chief of the FBI’s Behavioral Analysis Unit, if something was wrong or if he was unwell usually ended in one of two ways, him saying some variation of „I’m fine,“ „Everything’s ok,“ or him staring at the person until they suddenly remembered they had to be somewhere else, preferably as far away from Agent Hotchner’s stare as possible.

Even being almost garrotted in a junk yard, blown up by a car bomb or stabbed nine times by the Boston Reaper didn’t change a thing. His answers were always the same. More often than not the people who knew him best were well aware that he wasn’t, in fact, *fine* at those times, but neither of them dared to crack the shell that held their boss together. 

Hotch had become very good in schooling his features, keeping signs of discomfort or pain hidden behind the mask he wore on most days, the mask of SSA Hotchner, strong and fearless leader. Hell, after more than 30 years he had become so good, that he was even able to fool himself. When he felt off for several days with a headache that came and went, some lightheadedness and dizziness, he attributed those to the usual causes of too much work, not enough sleep, to much caffein, and not enough water. Falling asleep on the couch in his office, the last file he worked on in his lap, that was a new one though. After basically bolting upright he immediately called his sister-in-law to apologise, sounding somewhat out of breath to himself. The Amber Alert he received not even 5 seconds later had him change his plans of driving home and spending the rest of the evening with Jack. 

When he joined his team in the conference room, he tried his best to hide his mounting discomfort, lightheadedness and shortness of breath. Thankfully everybody’s focus was on the files in front of them and on Garcia, so not even Blake or Rossi, who were right next to him, noticed anything wrong with Hotch, who by now held on to the chair in front of him because the vertigo that had set in was getting worse and worse. While talking about the Amber Alert all of his symptoms attacked at once. Still having it ingrained in him to ‚not be a nuisance‘ he tried to excuse himself and leave, but it was too late. Darkness settled in and the last thing he heard before everything went quiet were Morgan and Rossi calling out for him.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading.  
> I don't live for comments or kudos but I really appreciate them.


End file.
